Love Story
by Deathangel113
Summary: It took time to realize what was really meant to be.
1. Stage One: First Sight

******Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is the property of Natsuki Takaya. I hold neither affiliation nor ownership.**

_Author's Note: This is a response to the challenge "10 Stages of Love" by Ninja-chan on Lunaescence Archives._

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Stage One: First Sight

She looked happy. He watched as she walked across the grounds, holding both of her parents' hands. It was the perfect image of a family. They were all smiling and as they drew closer he found his attention focusing on her face.

This girl was the image of innocence. Unlike the others who were cursed, unlike him, she seemed to be unaffected.

Gray eyes met the gaze of brown eyes for an instant before she was gone, walking to where ever her home was in this estate. For several minutes longer he stared at the spot where she had last been before he returned to watching the grass grow.


	2. Stage Two: Introduction

**********Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is the property of Natsuki Takaya. I hold neither affiliation nor ownership.**

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Stage Two: Introduction

It was too much like a fairy tale. The knight finds the damsel in distress and rescues her. Unlike a fairy tale there was no happy ending. The princess was left homeless, tossed aside. Through the tears though, there was a lovely smile and spoken were the two simple words, _Thank you_.

It wasn't perfect, no introduction was. In the end, all that mattered was that they had that first meeting.


	3. Stage Three: Interaction

**********Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is the property of Natsuki Takaya. I hold neither affiliation nor ownership.**

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Stage Three: Interaction

A knock on the window. It startled her and when she looked over her shoulder she was greeted by his face, gray eyes looking at her through the glass. For a time she could only stare at him before slowly, in an almost mechanized manner, she stood and walked to the window.

"Hey," he said once the window had been opened.

"Hi." An awkward silence settled between them. She looked off to the side before glancing at him. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "I just wanted to see you."

She smiled. "Thank you."


	4. Stage Four: Attraction

******Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is the property of Natsuki Takaya. I hold neither affiliation nor ownership.**

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Stage Four: Attraction

He was too good, too kind, too perfect. Maybe that was why she was finding it harder to be away from him. It might be why she now found herself blushing whenever he sent a smile in her direction or why her heart would start to race when his hand would brush against hers.

It was nothing. These feelings were normal for friends. She cared for him and that was it. Convincing herself of that was another matter for whenever their eyes met, nothing else seemed significant.


	5. Stage Five: Date

******Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is the property of Natsuki Takaya. I hold neither affiliation nor ownership.**

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Stage Five: Date

They had left the estate. This was the first time that they had done so together. Dressed in their regular clothes, they wandered the streets with no particular destination in mind. It was just another day. It was just a day that they had chosen to do something other than suffocate in Akito's shadow.

For one day they escaped to just enjoy each other's company. Neither was willing to admit that this escapade was something more. There was no sense in breaking the spell.


	6. Stage Six: Holding Hands

******Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is the property of Natsuki Takaya. I hold neither affiliation nor ownership.**

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Stage Six: Holding Hands

When their fingers laced, both of them gripping the other's hand tightly, the day continued as it had. There was little conscious thought behind the action, it happened as naturally as they drew breath.

The security that came with holding each other's hands was taken in stride. With each passing second, so too di the smiles that curved both of their lips become part of the natural flow.

Holding hands was funny that way.


	7. Stage Seven: First Kiss

******Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is the property of Natsuki Takaya. I hold neither affiliation nor ownership.**

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Stage Seven: First Kiss

She didn't know what to think. The kiss had been... She had known that she had wanted to kiss him and Haru had made it especially clear that he had wanted to kiss her.

Worrying her lower lip, she looked at her hands. Why did she feel like she had poisoned him? Was she supposed to feel like this? She didn't know. No one had ever kissed her before. It was all so confusing.

His hand covered hers and she looked at him. He smiled and the fluttering sensation in her stomach returned ten-fold.


	8. Stage Eight: Relationship

******Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is the property of Natsuki Takaya. I hold neither affiliation nor ownership.**

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Stage Eight: Relationship

Secrecy. That was what had come to define them. No one could know about them, especially not Akito. Because of this, they would sneak around. It often felt like they were committing a taboo act and perhaps they were.

Yet, he couldn't bring himself to care about that. Every smile that lightened her features, every time that she laughed, he was reminded why he was with her.


	9. Stage Nine: Love

******Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is the property of Natsuki Takaya. I hold neither affiliation nor ownership.**

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Stage Nine: Love

There was nothing more perfect. Holding her close to him, after being apart for so long, he found himself happy once again.

This was wrong. She was wrong. Desperately, she wanted to pull away from him. She couldn't bring herself to though, not when he was so close again. Avoidance and pushing him away could only work for so long, but now... She gripped his shoulders and stepped closer to him.

No words were needed. Too many said that words without meaning them.

He pressed a kiss to her brow and then watched as the smile, that he had thought to be lost, crept onto her lips.


	10. Stage Ten: Commitment

******Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is the property of Natsuki Takaya. I hold neither affiliation nor ownership.**

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Stage Ten: Commitment

"Stay with me."

The question startled her. Looking at him, she saw that he was gazing as intensely at her as he had that day that they had first kissed. "W-What?"

"Stay with me."

"Haru... You know that I, but we... I'll..."

"There's no reason for us to not be together, Rin."

He was right. He was always right. "I don't want to taint you," she said quietly.

"Do you want to be with me?"

"Of course." She lowered her gaze only to look at him again when the space between them rapidly diminished.

"Then stay with me, Rin. Forever."

She nodded in assent.

_~ Fin ~_


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